Last year, the Lions went 12-5 and reached the NFC championship game for the second time in franchise history, and Goff finished second in the league in passing and had one of the best seasons of his career.
On Thursday, Goff expressed deep gratitude to the Lions organization for believing in him “when they necessarily didn’t have to.” He said Lions coach Dan Campbell “has been as instrumental to my career as anybody,” and thanked general manager Brad Holmes — the Rams’ director of college scouting in 2016 — “for believing in me from the beginning.”
Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff (16) and guard Graham Glasgow (60) walk down the tunnel before the game against Atlanta Falcons at Ford Field in Detroit on Sunday, Sept. 24, 2023.
“It’s been tremendous,” Goff said. “I said this a minute ago upstairs, but the reward of the contract and the success we’ve been able to have is awesome, but the journey itself the past three years has been the true success and the true meaning of success, I guess.
“Obviously, the wins and what not and getting the contract are amazing, but being able to go through that together with my teammates and with my family, go through the dark times and grow through those times and learn more about yourself and work on yourself, that’s the win in all this. I’m happy to be able to stand in front of you and be your quarterback for a lot longer, but this city’s meant a lot to me.”
After a rocky start — the Lions went 3-13-1 in his first season in Detroit, when many believed he was a bridge quarterback until the team drafted someone better — Goff has been instrumental in the Lions’ recent success.
He led the team to a 9-8 record and near-playoff appearance in 2022, then helped them win their first division title in 30 years and come within a whisker of making the Super Bowl last year.
The Lions beat Goff’s old team, the Rams, in the first round of the playoffs, when fans turned his name — “Jar-ed Goff” — into a rallying cry they’ve since chanted at everything from sports venues to supermarkets across the state.
“It’s been wild,” Goff said. “I get those clips sent to me quite a bit. It’s very cool. It is, and it’s something that I won’t experience ever again in the fashion that I did last year in the playoffs. So yeah, it’s very cool and something that I’ll cherish forever, but it has been crazy and cool to see.”
Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff speaks at Detroit Lions headquarters and training facility in Allen Park on Thursday, May 16, 2024.
Before finalizing Goff’s extension, the Lions re-signed Amon-Ra St. Brown and Penei Sewell to extensions that totaled $232 million and made them the highest-paid receiver (temporarily) and offensive linemen in the game.
Goff said he’s excited to know that the Lions’ nucleus will be in place for years to come — St. Brown’s deal, like Goff’s extension, runs through 2028, while Sewell’s deal ties him to the Lions through 2029 — and they’re all of the same mind in trying to win a championship.
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